Dial In To Hell Phone, Bushwicks Underground Techno Hotspot
It's midnight on a Saturday night in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and the back room of Cafe Ange Noir has turned into an inferno. It is dark, lit only by a few red lamps. The crowd takes over, many dancing, others waiting for a drink or a game of pool. The others enter the room and exit with an antique phone booth labeled "Hell's Phone". The DJ sits in the corner of the room, about 20 feet off the floor; his hovering presence mimics that of an angel or devil, depending on your point of view.
The Hell Phone launched just six months ago, and while it has a strong name, its identity is unclear. Founders Bree Olson and Finlay Mangan call it a "techno-speaker", though more broadly it's a DIY "multi-functional space" for live music. There's no consistent weekly schedule, but events typically happen three nights a week, and the founders will post the schedule below on Hell Phone's Instagram at the beginning of each week.
Last summer, Cafe Ange Noir owner Vanessa Pacini brought in a DJ for a weeklong stay after already renting out the back room for variety shows, local theater and private events. Olson, a full-time DJ, booker and event organizer, interviewed Pacini for the role and pitched his concept for the space.
"I thought. "Let me do the grand opening for the resident so we can put it on the radar and let more people know about it," Olson recalls.
One of the defining features of the space is the aforementioned phone booth that separates the cafe from the back, a gateway to hell if you will. Built in 2014, the portal was designed to give the rear room a clearer identity when viewed from the front.
"Ange Noir" means "black angel" in French, Pacini tells Hypebeast. With "Angel" we were thinking about the day, so we wanted to do the opposite, something darker... but we thought we shouldn't call it "Devil". So we decided on the Hell Phone.
Hell Phone was already the darker, grittier counterpart to Ange Noir, so it was only natural to extend the name to the new speakeasy. Olson hired Mangan, a full-time model (and roommate), to bring Hell Phone to life. Along with Pacini, they both renovated the space to create a nightclub atmosphere, first installing sound-absorbing panels and walls and covering glass windows to darken them. They also removed the furniture to clear the dance floor.
DJs performing at Hell Phone can play on a standard stage, about 5 meters high, or almost ceiling height on a smaller stage. "It's an old club idea to ditch the DJ," Mangan explains. "I find the lower level to be more social."
Olson and Mangan used their personal and professional networks to recruit talent, as most of Hell Phone's DJs hail from Brooklyn and Queens. The duo notes that artists are often drawn to the space itself, a comfortably intimate setting (with a capacity of about 75 people) compared to Manhattan clubs, which can often seat hundreds, if not thousands, of patrons. Lot Radio resident Amelia Holt is a recurring name on the list, as is Queen Purdy Award-winning and classically trained flautist and DJ Concrete Husband. During Hypebeast's visit on Saturday, Hell Phone was hosted by two Brooklyn collectives; one called Trim, which hosts techno parties across the city, and another called Shift, which promotes DJs, events and clubs. The collective works together monthly as Hell Phone's first unofficial DJ residency. Of course, Olson and Mangan were also in the stadium.
Olson says most of the evenings are techno-centric, though they do embrace the aforementioned "multipurpose room" concept. Ange Noir's cafe area will remain closed, but the area itself will remain open for guests to take a break from the loud music. Local vendors, from antique dealers to tarot readers to dental jewelry artists, often occupy storefronts, and the Hell Phone isn't taking away from their sales. While music is undoubtedly Hell Phone's bread and butter, Holt and another DJ, Cole Evelev, will be using the venue to host a chess club later in the week.
Sarah Kearns/Hypebeast
"Hell Phone's ethos is to focus on the community and not put profit first," says Mangan. “Our effort is to add something meaningful to this scene that we love. It is very interesting to diversify the scene of places where you can dance.
For Olsson, who worked in the music industry for years before founding Hell Phone, the safety of artists and guests was as much a priority as the music. Some nights are dedicated to providing a safe space for a particular group, such as Trans 4 Techno, whose lineup consists entirely of trans artists and aims to bring trans and queer people together.
“It's a very community atmosphere. Sometimes it just feels like a house party.
"What's nice about us is that everyone here is a friend of a friend," Mangan adds. “It's a very community atmosphere. Sometimes it just feels like a house party.
Even in the winter season, when socializing in the city naturally declines, Ferry's phone is still crowded most evenings. It far exceeded the expectations of the three founders. And while they've discussed sending the Hell Phone to other locations in the future, both in the city and abroad, Ange Noir will always be its home.
"We're a community-oriented place, and we love being involved in this Bushwick scene," Olson says. "There's nothing better than watching the Hell Phone grow."
